Radiation barriers or shields are used to attenuate (e.g., deflect, absorb, etc.) the flux of electromagnetic radiation originating from a radiation source and directed towards an article (e.g., sample, room, human body, or part thereof, etc.). Radiation can be provided from a variety of natural or man-made sources and can be electromagnetic energy at wavelengths of 1.0×10−15 meters (e.g., cosmic rays) to 1.0×106 meters (e.g., radiation from AC power lines). Radiation can have beneficial and/or negative effects.
One beneficial effect of radiation relates to radiological examinations. The phrase radiological examination, for purposes of this disclosure, refers generally to any procedure wherein radiation is applied to an article for the purpose of producing an image or representation of the article. Radiological examinations may provide a non-invasive means capable of obtaining an image of the internal composition of the article. Radiological examinations may be employed in a variety of applications including, but not limited to, medical procedures.
A wide array of medical procedures exist where radiological examinations are employed to obtain an image of the anatomy of a patient or portions thereof. For example, portions of a patient's anatomy may be irradiated during: (i) diagnostic procedures (e.g., Computed Tomography (CT) scanning, x-ray photography, or any other imaging procedure) allowing non-invasive investigation of anatomical regions of a patient (e.g., internal tissue, organs, etc.); or (ii) various invasive procedures, such as the fluoroscopic guidance and/or manipulation of instruments during surgical procedures (e.g., CT fluoroscopy, etc.).
To obtain an image through a radiological examination, a primary radiation beam (i.e., entrance radiation) is be applied to the article (e.g., patient). Preferably, radiation is selectively applied only to those areas to be examined (i.e., target areas) to minimize the article's overall radiation exposure. Typically, the target areas of the article are directly irradiated without any obstruction or impairment provided between the primary radiation beam and the surface of the article. It is generally known to cover those areas not being examined (i.e., secondary areas) with a radiation barrier or shield to prevent and/or reduce radiation exposure for those areas. Such shields are formed of a radiation attenuating material and are often placed directly upon the surface of the article.
It has been discovered that in certain procedures limited imaging of the article can still be generated when a barrier or shield (made of a radiation attenuating material) is placed over the target area (i.e., coincident with the primary radiation beam). The radiation attenuation material absorbs much of the primary radiation beam, but allows an amount (sufficient to generate an image of the article) to penetrate through and subsequently penetrate the article. Placing the shield over the target area reduces the amount of radiation exposure realized by the article. This method of reducing radiation exposure may be particularly beneficial during fluoroscopy procedures during which particularly sensitive areas (e.g., male or female reproductive regions, female breast tissue, etc.) of a patient are exposed to a primary radiation beam.
However, it has further been discovered that it is often difficult (if not impossible) to sufficiently examine certain regions of the article when a radiation attenuation material is positioned coincident with the primary radiation beam and over the target area. For example, placing a radiation attenuation material on the surface of the article prevents a clear and/or accurate image of the surface (or regions slightly below the surface) from being obtained. Such examination limitations are due to x-ray glare (e.g., noise, scatter, artifact, etc.), referred to in this disclosure generally as interference, generated when radiation encounters the radiation attenuation material. This interference hinders a worker's (e.g., physician's) ability to visualize the necessary regions and therefore cannot be used during the radiological examination.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a radiation attenuation system that may be used during a radiological examination to reduce the amount of radiation exposure realized by an article undergoing the examination. It would further be advantageous to provide a radiation attenuation system that may be positioned coincident to the primary radiation beam to protect the target area (i.e., the area of examination) from increased radiation exposure. It would further be advantageous to provide a radiation attenuation system that may be used during a radiological examination without allowing the interference (caused when radiation encounters a radiation attenuation material) from interfering with the clarity and/or accuracy of the generated image of an article. It would further be advantageous to provide a radiation attenuation system that reduces the amount of radiation exposure for personnel present during a radiological examination. It would also be advantageous to provide a radiation attenuation system that is relatively adaptable for use with a variety of radiological examinations. It would be desirable to provide for a radiation attenuation system having one or more of these or other advantageous features.